In terms of all-terrain driving adventures, the Land Rover Defender is an expert. While it is drivable on paved roads, it shows its iconic versatility and 4x4 capability especially off the road. But if someone is looking for the ultimate Defender, perhaps Italian coachbuilder Ares Design has something to offer – the new Ares Design Land Rover Defender.

Based in Modena, Italy, Ares Design is a relatively new company in the field of bespoke automotive design and modifications. Nonetheless, Ares Design has proven itself to be highly capable of creating high-quality coach-built cars, converting almost any type vehicles into a bespoke creation. One of its latest works, the Ares Design Land Rover Defender, is no exception.

Ares Design founder and chief executive Dany Bahar called the Ares Design Land Rover Defender as the ultimate Defender. He noted that while the Defender is a motoring icon, icons can be re-imagined. As re-imagined, the Ares Design Land Rover Defender doesn’t just offer incredible performance, but also boasts of captivating appearance and opulent touches similar to that of a luxury SUV.

There are so many aftermarket tuners out there that have been turning out pretty amazing Land Rover Defenders. It’s their popularity perhaps that has urged the automaker itself to join the throng. In fact, Jaguar Land Rover’s Classic division has built 150 old-style Defenders right in the outskirts of Coventry.

The special edition Defender was made to celebrate 70 years of the iconic off-roader in 2018, before an all new version of the vehicle makes its debut. It’s said to look very different from the current version.

Under the hood of the Defender Works V8 is a 5.0 liter naturally aspirated V8. This carries out as much as 405 horsepower and 515 Newton-metres (380 pound-feet) of torque. This makes it the most powerful officially sanctioned Defender to hit the road. In just 5.6 seconds, it will reach 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) from a standstill, and is capable of hitting a maximum limited top speed of 106 miles per hour (170 kilometers per hour).

It can no longer be denied that Jaguar Land Rover wants to design some more hardcore type versions of their SUV range --- soon after launching the Discovery SVX only the previous month. As reported by Autocar recently, Gerry McGovern, British Design Director for Land Rover, reveals the possibility of adding an SVX badge into the Discovery lineup.

The SVX badge is created by Special Vehicle Operations, Jaguar Land Rover’s performance arm which designs the majority of its off-road models. In fact, both Jaguar and Land Rover have implied the SVX's advantage both for the next generation Defender and Jaguar SUVs. Jaguar’s director for design Ian Callum likewise stated their interest in the SVX badge. During the recent interview with British media outlet, Callum said that if Land Rover can provide its SUVs with an SVR, Jaguar can do the same with an SVX variant. If ever, this concept will likely apply on the I-Pace, E-Pace and F-Pace models as these are the only Jaguars with off-roading capabilities at this point.

With regards to Land Rover, Mc Govern believes that both premium design and durability should come hand in hand--- especially for an off-road SUV. And he believes that this could be achieved even without going all the way down to the basics. This is also why he thinks the next generation Defender is heading towards this direction.

Did you know that Spectre, the 24th movie instalment based on Ian Fleming’s novel, had ten Land Rover Defenders to use back in 2015? Well, that is because the producers asked Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations to build ten heavily customized crew cab 110s especially for James Bond’s villains.

All ten vehicles were then taken to Bowler, Land Rover’s British racing partner for a wide range of upgrades including an uprated 180hp over the standard 120hp engine output. Included in the upgrades as well were Recaro racing bucket seats, harnesses, a full- roll cage, a new set of 37-inch tyres plus a warn winch with rope at the front. For complete control during an action-packed sequence, Bowler had also equipped the entire fleet with Bilstein rally shock absorbers.

But since some of the vehicles got ruined while filming the movie, only a few have remained intact to this day. One of them is the Land Rover Defender SVX Concept that was sold to a private client immediately after the minor footages have been completed. This particular vehicle had only been used for drive-by scenes and it was unscathed throughout the movie. The owner has now consigned the massive off-roader to RM Sotheby’s for the annual London event this coming September 6. The auction house will offer the vehicle to registered bidders. The bidding will run for approximately four to five hours.

A couple of days ago, we saw a 1958 Land Rover with tracks on it. This is one muscle truck that can drive on all road and weather conditions, but it didn’t have that much to offer in the interior. Now, we have got here a Land Rover Defender that looks perfectly rugged on the outside, but has a luxurious interior that totally contrasts the exterior design. This was made possible by the tuners from Startech.

Normally, the German tuners would give the Autobiography trim to higher end models like the Evoque, Range Rover, and Range Rover Sport. But they probably thought that it would look awesome if they combine the Defender’s rugged nature with the Autobiography’s luxurious feel. So they decided to give the Defender the overall treatment.

Beginning from the car’s exterior, the front end has been customized with aluminum running boards, a new grille, dirt flaps and a new hood. The “Defender” logo had been blacked out to blend into the all black exterior finish. A new pair of lights has also been added, combined with a set of 18-inch Monostar D Black wheels that finish off the whole look.

For the previous years, East Coast Defender has been dishing out irresistible Land Rover Defender set-ups. It does seem like the company has been stocking up on ideas since the SUV was introduced to the automotive world in 1948. ECD has gifted us with beauties like the Corvette-powered Project XIII and the Beast. Only recently, it has conceived a Defender so potent that the company made a whole new division only for it. The Project Viper provides the common V8 upgrade and up to date tech, but is also geared to swallow obstacles with a single bite while slithering its way in and out of distant roads.

With a cool name like Project Viper, one is probably imagining a low and sinister build paired with a snake badge and a robust V10 engine. But we hate to burst your bubble as we are not talking about the 2016 Dodge Viper ACR, instead we will set our sights on a macho build as ECD combined a Chevrolet LS3 V8 with a revolutionary off-roader that’s highly based its design and inspiration from the Land Rover Defender.

The vehicle in question is dubbed the "Project Viper", and is the brainchild of Ultimate Vehicle Concept division of East Coast Defenders, a niche builder located in Kissimmee, Florida that creates custom-built Land Rover Defenders. In this case, the American company built from the ground up the potent sports-utility vehicle that is not hindered by creative blocks or finance.

No matter how much owners of the Land Rover Defender sports utility vehicle want their rides to become less adverse – if not actually friendly – to the environment, they really couldn’t. This is primarily because the Land Rover Defender, in its most eco-friendly form, still emits 266 grams of carbon dioxide to the air for every kilometer it travels (when using the 2.2-liter four-cylinder diesel engine).

Fortunately though, an engineering company lurking within the Coventry neighborhood – yes, the place where Jaguar Land Rover is headquartered – is currently working on a project that should allow the Land Rover to become a bit friendlier to Mother Nature. How? Well, JE Motorworks is trying an engine conversion for the Land Rover Defender, replacing the only available mill for the SUV – the 2.2-liter four-cylinder diesel engine with the 2.3-liter Ford EcoBoost unit that is fitted on the Ford Mustang and on Ford Focus RS sports models.

While both engines have similar displacements and are four-cylinder units, the EcoBoost unit uses up gasoline (petrol) and the mill on the now discontinued Defender sips on diesel. Comparing their power levels, the 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine on the Focus RS delivers 350 hp (345 PS or 257 kW) of max output and up to 470 Nm (350 lb.-ft.) of torque. On the other hand, the 2.2-liter diesel mill on the Land Rover Defender churns out 122 PS (90 kW) of max output and 360 Nm of torque. In terms of carbon dioxide emissions, the 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine returns only 175 g/km on the Ford Focus RS while the 2.2-liter diesel engine emits 266 g/km on the Land Rover Defender 90 (hard top, soft top and pickup).

Overfinch has unveiled a special edition Defender to celebrate 40 years of its existence. The company is planning to create just five specially commissioned Overfinch Defenders, which also served as the company's way of acknowledging Land Rover's move to stop production of the Defender.

Each of these special edition Overfinch Defenders will feature an individually numbered plaque. As expected of Overfinch, it treated the Land Rover Defender with an array of new features that smoothly blends modern and traditional design.

For instance, its signature Overfinch bonnet and front grille create a great contrast with the rest of the bodywork. Its front bumper dons integrated LED daytime running lights and spot lamps. Its side sills and rear quarter panels -- finished in black satin – featured checkered plating.

Land Rover is pleased to announce that it has come up with a special collector’s edition for its Defender pedal car concept at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. Already in the final phases of production, the Defender is truly a fitting tribute to many of the iconic vehicles throughout its history.

Hand-built and produced in the UK, the Defender pedal car is styled to honor the legacy of the ‘Huey,’ the first-ever Land Rover that came with the original ‘HUE 166’ number plate. Lindsay Weaver says that the Defender pedal car is not just for collectors but is also a toy for children.

The Defender pedal car is a way to show that the company can produce world class quality goods with enough attention to detail to mimic the Land Rover and Jaguar cars, Weaver concludes. Weaver is the Director of Branded and Licensed Goods for the Jaguar Land Rover.

Land Rover and Sir Paul Smith have collaborated to build a Defender, which was recently unveiled at his shop at No. 9 Albemarle Street in Mayfair. Smith worked closely with Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) design team to create a distinct vehicle built entirely to his own specification.

Guided by Gerry McGovern, Land Rover’s Design Director and Chief Creative Officer, Smith was able to create his own personal version of a global auto icon. The Paul Smith Defender features 27 different colors on its exterior panels, all chosen by the British designer.

He remarked that the colors were inspired by the British countryside and those historically seen on Defenders used by the Armed Forces. To achieve his preferred look, Smith provided the SVO team a set of Pantone color references that were mixed specially for the vehicle. He also collaborated with Land Rover to ensure that the interior really reflects what his wants.

Land Rover has just announced the Defender Africa, a new edition limited that will be available globally. The bad news is that Land Rover will only produce 50 units of the Defender Africa Edition so if you really want one you’d better call your dealer as soon as possible.

According to the manufacturer, the Special Edition Defender marks over 67 years of boldly going where no other vehicle has gone before. As you can see from the photos, the Defender Africa features a Santorini Black finish and a red roof which takes its inspiration from Africa.

Complementing the exterior are the black saw tooth alloy wheels and Defender Africa decal. The interior shows black seat covers with red piping and the vehicle is offered with Bluetooth telephone connection.

The very first round of the Defender Challenge by Bowler race series will be launched on March 2, 2014, as part of the Viking Motorsport/Links Electrical Mid Wales Stages rally event in Newtown, Wales. This new series is managed by Bowler Motorsport and supported by Land Rover and is a United Kingdom-based Defender one-make seven-round rally series.

Contestants were tasked to challenge a combination of hill rallies and stage rallies spread across Mid and South Wales, Somerset, Nottinghamshire, Shropshire and Dorset. The final round will occur in Scotland in mid-November. Participants could also compete in other rallies in Europe and North Africa alongside the Bowler Works team. The series – created for both experienced and inexperienced competition drivers – is ultimately aimed at providing a path for teams to progress to top rally raid contests like the Dakar and the Africa Race.

All contestants will drive Bowler-ready Land Rover Defender 90 vehicles that have been modified for safety, performance and durability. The modifications include: a full MSA/FIA certified roll cage, fire extinguisher system, racing seats and harnesses, light-weight Bowler wheels, a full Bowler racing suspension system with bespoke springs and heavy duty racing dampers.

Land Rover wants to keep the Defender as much as it can on the market and as a result it will launch two new option packs for the iconic SUV: the Black Pack and the Silver Pack. As expected, these packs come with plenty of optional features such as a new aluminum finish on the vehicle’s side runners, contrast finish leather seats, privacy glass and an ebony Alston headliner, offered for the first time on the Defender.

The Black pack includes a Santorini black finish applied on the roof, grille, grille surround, headlamp surrounds, wheel arches, Defender lettering on the bonnet and interior fascia. Privacy glass is also offered as well as ebony Alston headliner.

Land Rover will offer two wheel designs for the Black Pack: a gloss black Sawtooth alloy wheel and a new gloss black heavy duty wheel.

Land Rover is the official sponsor of the 2014 Defender Challenge by Bowler, a continuation of the strategic partnership disclosed in 2012 between the carmaker and Bowler Motorsport. The Defender Challenge is a one-make, seven-round rally series in the United Kingdom designed to serve as a feeder series to the annual Dakar rally and other global rally-raid competitions.

The series will be regulated by the MSA (Motor Sports Association) and each Defender Challenge car will be FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) compliant that allows participant s to compete internationally. The Defender Challenge targets to both experienced and inexperienced drivers a venue to gain the experience needed to compete in world-class rally-raid events.

For those with no or little experience, the Defender Challenge will offer an extensive solution for gaining a license, training and development and competition experience. The Defender Challenge car is a modified Defender 90 Hard Top powered by factory-standard 2.2-liter diesel engine uprated to 170 bhp by Bowler Motorsport.

Final preparations are underway for the ‘Pole of Cold’ expedition, an initiative supported by Land Rover, The Royal Geographical Society and Institute of British Geographers. The ‘Pole of Cold’ expedition – which aims to explore the social, cultural and physical effects of living in harsh climates during winter – will engage with communities along a decided route to Siberia.

The three-person team led by experienced British adventurer Felicity Aston will research how the communities have managed to adapt to life in sub-zero temperatures.

The team -- recipients of the sixth annual Land Rover Bursary -- will ride on a Land Rover Defender from Land Rover and will get up to £30,000 of funding. The Land Rover Defender 110 – known for its all-terrain capabilities as well as being able to tackle most challenging conditions on the planet – underwent a slew of modifications in addition to its already inclusive list of standard features.

Land Rover will no longer build the iconic Defender sports utility vehicle starting in the middle of the decade "due to legislative reasons," a Land Rover spokesman told Automotive News Europe. Land Rover is currently developing a vehicle that will replace the Defender, although the carmaker did not disclose any details of the new product, including the timing of its release.

Land Rover sold the Defender SUV in the United States in the 1960s through 1974 in two versions -- a Jeep Wrangler-like off-roader having an 88-inch wheelbase; and a larger safari wagon based on a 110-inch wheelbase. Land Rover managed to survive parent British Leyland and resumed selling the same versions of the Defender in the US in the mid-1990s. Because of the cult-like following for the Defender in North America, prices of even used models remained high. This is why many are imported, usually in an illegal manner.

Land Rover discontinued selling the Defender in the US since the SUV no longer complied with federal safety regulations requiring driver and passenger side air bags. Max Warburton, an analyst at Bernstein Research, wrote in a recent report on Jaguar Land Rover that a Defender replacement will not be rolled out until 2019 at the earliest due to a lack of volume and weak business case.

In celebration of Land Rover’s 65 years of technology and innovation, a special event is scheduled to take place at Packington Estate near its Solihull homeland. A member of the 'Black Cats' Royal Navy display team, known for their exciting air displays, will fly in a 'HUE' birthday cake in a Lynx helicopter.

The Land Rover brand has been working on vehicles that can handle any terrain ever since Maurice Wilks sketched its foundations in the sand. Because of this principle, Land Rover has become popular worldwide ever since production started in 1948. At this event, the 'HUE 166' or the ‘Huey’ – the first Series I Land Rover – will be prominently displayed. Land Rover will also debut a Special Edition Defender - the LXV at this event.

Defender builds on the original Land Rover in 1990. So far, this legendary lineup of utility vehicles - Land Rover Series I, II, III and Defender - has sold more than two million units. The LXV, which is based on the standard Land Rover Defender, is offered in five different body styles. The Defender is powered by the 2.2-litre diesel engine and features the 6-speed manual transmission, delivering 122PS@3,500rpm of power and 360Nm@2,000rpm of torque.

Land Rover will be unveiling seven new Defender electric models at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. The Defender research vehicle boasts of being able to go anywhere without harmful emissions. Land Rover replaced the standard diesel engine and gearbox in the Defenders 110 with a 70kW (94bhp) 330Nm electric motor powered by a 300-volt, lithium-ion battery having a capacity of 27kWh.

This allows the Defender EV to have a range of over 50 miles. The battery can last for up to eight hours without recharging if the vehicle is subjected to low speed off-road use. Once empty, the battery can be recharged by a 7kW fast charger in just four hours or by a portable 3kW charger in 10 hours.

The EVs retain Defender’s legendary four-wheel drive system and differential lock. There is no need for a driver to gear shift since the electric motor already provides maximum torque from the start. Transmission for the Defender EVs includes a single speed, 2.7:1 reduction gearbox combined with the existing Defender four-wheel drive system.

When the 2013 Land Rover Defender enters the European market, it will be available with three added options and two new exterior body colors dubbed Barolo Black and Havana. For the first option, the buyer can choose from four new contrast roof colors set against the majority of the Defender paint palette.

Together with the standard Fuji White, Defender customers can choose from among Santorini Black, Indus Silver, Orkney Grey or Firenze Red. For instance, Land Rover said that the Firenze Red body color can be selected with the Santorini Black roof and the Baltic Blue with Indus Silver.

For the second option, the features include a new body-hugging seat design, partly dressed in leather with the backrest carrying the Land Rover logo, available for the driver and front passenger.

In order to make the car even more special, Land Rover launched a special edition of the Defender, called XTech. The new Defender XTech Special Edition is offered in two colours, Orkney Grey or striking Nara Bronze, in contrast with the Santorini Black roof and wheel arches and black chequer plate along the bumper and sills.

Moreover, the front lights are are enhanced with Santorini Black headlamp surrounds, while a special ‘Defender’ decal is found above the rear LED lights. The design of the front end is completed by the body colour grille and gloss black Land Rover lettering on the bonnet. The rear features a step bumper assembly that aids entry exit and loading.

The design of the car is completed by the Gloss Black Saw Tooth 16-inch alloy wheels wrapped in MTR off-road tyres. The vehicle features pure Ebony part leather interior that complements both the Orkney Grey and Nara Bronze with contrast Lunar stitching. Furthermore, we find the Land Rover logo embossed on front headrests.